This is my first week back at work after a month-long meditation retreat. I have been doing these retreats for the last five years, and I remember thinking how extravagant a month away from my regular routine seemed when I first started back then.
I don’t think it’s extravagant now. Getting away from my routine revitalized my life. Spending time in deep meditation is essential for my well-being. Selfcare is so essential in these times.
Of course, spending a month meditating is not always easy. I was highly irritated and super sensitive for five days straight about two weeks into the retreat. I was surprised at how much came up. My nervous system felt fried. My body ached. Deep emotions from the last few years kept surfacing and releasing; I could never have rebalanced so deeply if I did not have the space and time. When it started getting smokey from the nearby fires, I found exit scenarios forming in my head. I wanted to escape.
Finding the stillness underneath all the chaos was worth it. That experience of connection, of quiet, of suspended enoughness, is everything. It can hold it all.
I could go on and on about the experiences I had this month, but the important takeaway is getting away is a good thing.
Jeri Lawson has a full-time healing practice in Oakland, California. She is available for Healing Touch, Reiki, and Clarity Breathwork Monday through Friday.
510-601-9632
Wow, a whole month. We could all use retreat from the current events😁